The Initiative for Energy Justice, defines it as “the goal of achieving equity in both the social and economic participation in the energy system, while also remediating social, economic, and health burdens on those historically harmed by the energy system."

Some energy justice themes include access, affordability, reliability, resilience, community participation, economic and workforce development, siting and land use, environmental and health effects, and public sector implementation.

• Energy underpins nearly everything we do – and energy policy determines how energy is produced, distributed, and consumed, at community, organisational or governmental level

• Providing affordable, reliable, sustainable and clean energy is a development priority for us all (UN SDG 7) but this cannot happen without “energy justice”

• Climate change and the accompanying energy emergency is a class war! The owner and producer classes that "produced" the problem cannot produce the solutions!

• The ET is re-enacting historical global divisions of labour, and where a country is located in this divide determines its losses or gains from the transition

• It is estimated that energy accounts for more than two-thirds of total global GHG emissions. Therefore, to tackle the climate crisis, the global economy and national energy systems must be transformed based on “de-fossilization” and “to whom much is given”.

• Countries, communities, and people whose livelihoods are currently dependent on the extraction and production of fossil fuels will face significant changes as these industries shift

• For poor countries not to be left behind in ET, wealthy counterparts need to spend $$$Tr to develop solutions that both support just human development and protect the planet

• Nigeria energy use - 544Twh vs. USA 26,189Twh, S/Africa 1,348 Twh

• Close to 50% of the world's population is poor ( < US$ 2.00 per day);

• Bulk of poor rely on traditional biomass (estimated global total = 2.4 billion);

• About 1.6 billion of the poor without electricity & clean/modern energy

• Market-oriented reforms led by World Bank have adversely impacted on the poor

• Resource-rich states are dominated by an energy export, low value-adding complex led by IOCs in bed with their own governments

1. Intergenerational injustice: fossil fuels as wealth held in trust for future gens; HCDTs 20% investment for “future spending”; indiscriminate spending of fossil revenues by sub-nationals; Nigeria has one of the largest populations of youth in the world & should prioritise intergenerational energy justice
2. Legal injustices: Land Use Act of 1978, placed all lands including oil concessions in the trust of government; PIA as energy injustices reinforced - resource ownership vs justice; climate injustice; unjust terms for community beneficiation and environmental remediation (gas flare and energy loss; inter-governmental injustices -e.g. Until recently (2023 electricity Act) electricity was exclusive domain of FG and shortchanged states who could generate but could not transmit and distribute!
3. Unjust state-investor relationships - JVs without technical knowledge; investor state treaties
4. Injustice against communities - unserved and underserved communities; fenceline communities
5. Ecological injustice: divestment; decommissioning and abandonment
6. Energy sector labour injustices; casualisation, poor working conditions, risks etc

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  Nigeria requires more coherent implementation of climate and energy policy, development of a national strategy for technology transfer, more investments in climate-resilient infrastructure, and a quicker shift from fossils to renewable energy

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  Broaden engagement with community-based organizations, NGOs, labour unions and other stakeholders in reviewing the Energy Transition Plan

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  Financing opportunities must be made equitable to enable a just and equitable energy transition

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  Avail affordable and reliable renewable energy technology to all, but especially for communities that have paid the price for fossil energy

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  To be truly just, the ET must expand opportunities for women and youth

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  Energy Transition Plan needs to be reviewed from the perspective of at-risk constituencies and communities

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  Nigeria needs to be more effective at negotiations on climate and transition financing

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  Nigeria and other African countries need to put debt on the climate and energy table. Debt cancellation, free from austerity conditions, is needed to give governments leg room to determine where freed-up resources are best allocated

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  Ongoing power sector reforms (esp sub-national) needs to ring-fence financing for electrification of the poor